Monday 31 December 2012

This is goodbye to 2012, a busy year and a good one. Here is a photo of me at the beginning of the year with some of my work. Since then I have been pleased to weave a variety of things, in particular several items I can wear.
 I look forward to more of the same in 2013.

Perhaps I should make this my motto . . .

Happy New Year!

Sunday 30 December

Counting down now till the end of 2012. While my main activity is weaving I usually find a few quiet hours to keep my hand in at tatting. Here are a couple of recent items; one is for a Christmas plate and is just asking for some after dinner mints to go on it; the other is for a book cover (I think).

Saturday 29 December

During 2012 I was lucky enough to get a close look at two NZ Falcons. First of all, along with hordes of children and parents, I saw Wilson at the Blenheim Library when he made a visit with his handler.  Later, at an expo in the stadium, Fern was brought along a couple of times and I was able to get much closer and talk to her minder.  The birds are trained as advocacy birds for the Falcon Trust and Fern didn't mind in the least having her photo taken.  It is probably my favourite photo for 2012.

And here she is having a snack.

Friday 28 December 2012

This is a little surprise I found in September this year - just through my bedroom window.  Unfortunately I seem to have scared away the mother blackbird.

Thursday 27 December

Another highlight of 2012 is what has become an annual event in recent years. A road trip to Wanaka, via lakes, mountains, McKenzie country and Lindis Pass, to spend a week with Mary and Bill, my sister and her husband. (No, they didn't bring Charlie the galah with them.)  We always do a bit of tiki touring including a trip over the Haast to the West Coast.  Being close to the Lake is lovely.  And I get to visit family in Christchurch on the way there and back which is always a bonus.

Boxing Day 26 December 2012

I thought I would use the last days of December to have a quick look back at some of the things that occupied me in 2012.  The BIG ONE was the national Creative Fibre Festival for which I was one of a committee of seven.  My specific responsibility was as Exhibition Convener. There are literally hundreds of photos recording the events but here is the beginning of the exhibition from my point of view i.e. what arrived on my doorstep daily for several weeks.

Christmas Day 2012

The highlight of my day was a visit from Natasha, my favourite (also one and only) granddaughter. Thanks for coming Tas, it was great to see you.

Monday 24 December

Christmas Eve, and the end of the Elf  series. (The Elves all have to go away and help Santa evidently.) Fun while it lasted but that's enough for now.

I'm off to Nelson to a birthday party. Lucas Osmond is three years old today.

Sunday 23 December

Yarnaby is singing Jingle Bells!

Saturday 15 - Saturday 22 December

A week away in Upper Hutt has meant no photos but I have still been taking them. Here is a catch-up.

Yarnaby meets his cousin Elfred and in between luscious meals they go visiting and Yarnaby finds new friends.

I wonder who lives in here?

Friday 14 December

Off to Wellington to visit Elfred.

Thursday 13 December

And in the red corner . . . (and yes, that is a cobweb you can see.)

Wednesday 12 December

Yarnaby at home in the yarn barn.

Tuesday 11 December

What shall we plan to weave next Yarnaby?

Monday 10 December

This will be the next job!

Sunday 9 December

Finally ready to weave.

Saturday 8 December

Today Yarnaby is hitching a ride on my somewhat antiquated bobbin winder.  It may look a bit strange but has served faithfully for over 40 years and is still going strong.  The motor is even older as it is out of an old sewing machine.

Friday 7 December

It's OK, this daily elf stuff will be over by Christmas.

Thursday 6 December

Wednesday 5 December

Tuesday 4 December

Ready to thread. Lace weave linen stripes with slubby supplementary warps dividing the sections. Just needs a little bit of time and a fewer phone calls.

Monday 3 December

Yarnaby has a swing.  I leave him to it an go to the opera - Otello from the New York Met (at the movies) - fantastic!  31/2 hours of wall-to-wall real music and dead bodies.  Try lying down across a corner of a set of stairs with head hanging down backwards, playing dead and singing like an angel.  Give Renee Fleming a medal.

Sunday 2 December

Here we go - a linen warp and an apprentice with no fingers! This will be a challenge.

Saturday 1 December

Happy December!

Yarnaby starts his apprenticeship.  Let's see if he can count to 274.

Friday 30 November

Yarnaby and I just watched Terry Pratchett's "Going Postal."  What a hoot!

Thursday 29 November

It's true, it's always 5 o'clock somewhere.

Cheers!

Wednesday 28 November

Yarnaby, you would get on better if you held the scissors the other way up. (Can't get good staff these days.)

Tuesday 27 November

Thanks for helping me build the casserole Yarnaby. This will keep us going for the rest of the week. (There's always heaps of leftovers after the family have visited.)

Monday 26 November

Uh-oh! Not another Coke-drinker in the family! That's not a good start. I hope he doesn't spill it on Liam's laptop.

Sunday 25 November

The church Fair is always around the time of my birthday and for my sins I get to be in charge of the jewellery stall. Yarnaby just loved delving into the treasure trove. I wonder if that is why my helpers had to spend half an hour untangling the necklaces. They were fine when I finished with them - honest!

The busy-busy 'end-of-year' functions seem to be over and Yarnaby is reminding me it is time to get back to the loom. I totally agree with him.

But tomorrow is another day.

Introducing Yarnaby

An Elf on a Shelf

Yarnaby joined my family on 23 November 2012. (Thank you Esther - I think)  Anybody who lives with me has to get used to being surrounded by yarns and I expect Yarnaby to be my constant companion, at least for every day in December, or so I am instructed. Keep watching and see what he gets up to. I suspect some of it will be mischief.  In his introductory photo he has propped himself up in the shade of the lovely 'Leaping Salmon' roses given to me by June McKenzie for my birthday. Thank you June, I love them.

It didn't take long for him to find a skein of yarn to hold for me to wind into a ball. How many dozens of times did I and my sisters do this for our mother?

Keep watching!